When you’ve done everything – right from swimming with the sharks in South Africa to climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia, from trekking the mighty Himalayas in Nepal to exploring those Incan wonders of Peru, you often wonder – what’s next?
It becomes very tricky when it comes to choosing destinations and vacations and most suggestions offered by travel agents come across as clichéd or uninteresting. This is where studying the latest travel trends comes to the rescue. Bookmundi examines the top travel trends for 2016 to help you discover the hottest happenings from the world of travel to ensure that you continue to have the best holidays ever.
Travel Becomes Multi-Generational
Multiple generations of the same family traveling together is nothing new, but it has become way too common in the recent past. Many travel agencies saw an increase of as much as 20% in the number of requests for multi-generation holidays in 2015 and this number is projected to increase in the coming years. Grandparents are becoming more and more open to the idea of taking their entire families on extensive trips and hotels have also begun to take notice and offer family-friendly amenities such as multi-room suites and home rentals.
Mixing Business and Pleasure
Business and pleasure are two words that are becoming more and more inter-dependent when it comes to travel. The growth and development of technology makes it easier to maintain work-life balances and people have finally begun to take advantage. After all, if all you have to do is work on a laptop, why not do it with the sun and sand for company!
The Growth of Wellness Travel
Wellness travel is one of the fastest growing avenues, considering that it grows at a rate that is 50% faster than regular travel. However, this massive growth could also be due to the fact that the meaning of wellness has changed over the years. There was a time when wellness defined rich ladies spending time at the spa, but today, wellness travel involves yoga retreats, adventure holidays, spas and wellness expeditions for all kinds of travelers. Moreover, these holidays also include mental well-being. Bookmundi recommends you to think of wellness travel as more of a change in traveler mindsets rather than actual vacations.
Everything Becomes Seamless
Travel experiences can be planned way in advance. This means that almost each and every aspect of your holiday can be organized. Gone are the days when you book your flights, transportation and accommodation and leave the rest to your tour operators or chance. Today, you can see and explore each and every aspect of your holiday, check restaurant menus, explore 360-degree views of your favorite attractions and ensure that not a single moment is wasted on mediocrity.
It’s All About the Experience
More and more travelers are realizing that travel is all about creating experiences and making new memories. Today, it is no longer enough to watch pictures. People look for a real flavor of the place and an authentic insight into what to expect at their chosen destination. Millennials are also preferring trips which revolve around experiencing new cultures and interacting with new people. Exploring famous sights and ticking things off a bucket list is still important, but it no longer defines the itinerary. What actually makes or breaks a holiday is the experiences and interactions one makes with others. Simply put, travel is becoming more and more social than ever before!
Sharing Economies Continue to Boom
There is no doubt that the economy is going back to where it all started – sharing. This holds true particularly in the travel sector where people are more than happy to share things like transportation as it not only decreases costs, but also increases the social aspects of travel. Companies such as AirBnB have also come up and offered an entirely new take on accommodations by offering travelers a chance to actually ‘live’ with the locals in their own homes. This trend is certainly expected to increase in the year 2016, but you can expect the prices to increase as companies such as Uber, Lyft and AirBnb become subject to regulation and taxes.
2016 Destinations
There are some destinations that are always a traveler favorite, and there are new destinations which quickly rise to the top of traveler charts because of the simple fact that they are one of those few places which still feel mysterious and alluring.
• Cuba – The United States’ love affair with Cuba is sure to continue well into the year 2016. Travel is still limited, but the reestablishment of diplomatic relations means that things look good. Getting access to Cuba is expected to become easier and discussions are currently under way to allow regular flights between the US and Cuba.
• Hawaii – The Hawaiian Islands always manage to emerge as a travel hotspot, irrespective of which year it is. However, the year 2016 is incredibly special for the islands, as it marks the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. A number of plans are underway to honor this event, and this means that you can really get a look into the island’s culture and traditions. Nature lovers and sun-worshippers also have all that natural beauty and those countless beaches to fall back on.
• Brazil – The world is getting ready for the 2016 Olympics and Brazil is planning to offer its visitors all kinds of extravaganzas and attractions. The country has already waived off visa requirements for people from the US in the year 2016 and this could have an immediate impact on the number of visitors entering Brazil this year.
• New Zealand – Movies such as the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Triology did wonders for New Zealand tourism by putting all that natural beauty on the international scene and educating travelers about what this special country has in store for them. Moreover, American Airlines recently announced a non-stop service from Auckland to Los Angeles and this certainly makes the country far more accessible.
These travel trends should go a long way in helping you decide what’s next. Sure, you may have seen the best that the planet has to offer, but you most probably haven’t seen a country from the eyes of a local. How about giving into experiential travel and making the most of shared economies, you could easily find the missing ingredient which makes you feel like a newbie traveler all over again.